


It's Groundhog Day!

by DarkestElemental616



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 16:55:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16836691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkestElemental616/pseuds/DarkestElemental616
Summary: Sam is alone in the bunker with Castiel when he turns the TV on to the wrong channel.





	It's Groundhog Day!

It was _cold_ , even in the bunker. Sam layered up even more than usual before wandering into the kitchen to make him and Castiel some hot tea. He almost made an accompanying cup of hot chocolate before remembering that no, Dean wasn’t there. Dean had left. 

He sighed as he settled in front of the small TV they’d set up in one of the projection rooms. Castiel sat beside him on the couch, taking the second mug gratefully. 

“So we aren’t going to be doing anything today?” the angel asked softly. 

“We deserve the break,” Sam said easily, reaching for the remote. “We can take _one_ day off from monsters and research and hunting after nine solid years of crap.” He turned the TV on and froze. 

Castiel blinked. Whatever it was on the screen looked normal enough. A reporter, albeit a rude one, stood in front of a camera, explaining the human ritual of using a groundhog as a marker for spring, as completely ridiculous as the concept sounded. “…Sam?" 

"It’s Groundhog Day. Th-the movie.” The taller man had gone very, very pale. “What’s today…?" 

"February the second,” Castiel supplied helpfully. “Is that significant?" 

Sam turned off the TV, throwing the remote aside as if it physically pained him. 

Castiel set his tea aside, scooting closer to the hunter. "Sam, what is it?" 

"Gabriel,” Sam said. His hands were shaking. He clenched them into fists on his thighs to try and get them to stop. “When…when Dean made the deal to save me years back, the Trickster–Gabriel–he…” He looked around wildly. “Do you think this is _funny_ , you asshole?” he screamed to the room as a whole. “You think it’s funny, hiding out and then showing me _that_?" 

Castiel watched in confusion and horror as Sam continued to rant, pacing around the room looking ready to kill someone. It wasn’t until the hunter collapsed into a heap, curling in on himself, that the angel finally acted. 

"Sam.” He reached out, unsure, before wrapping his arms around Sam’s shoulders. “Sam, what’s wrong?" 

"Nothing,” Sam mumbled. “Just…just go away." 

”…Let me know if you wish to talk,“ the angel said gently before unfolding himself and heading to the main room. He had to talk to Dean, now. 

He dialed Dean’s number, impatiently listening to the ringing. He wished he could fly more than ever now. Sam was suffering, and Dean was the only one who could help. 

_"Cas?”_

“Dean. Something is the matter with Sam." 

Silence. Then, _”…What happened.“_ That was Dean’s protective tone, worried and angry. 

"I’m not sure. Something about small mammals and a movie. Is today significant?" 

He could hear Dean shuffling on the other end, maybe checking the calendar on his phone, before letting out a loud string of curses. _"Fuckin’ Gabriel.”_

“What is it?” Castiel asked with trepidation. He had a mild dislike for the archangel, all things considered, and apparently he had done a lot more than throw the Winchesters through a television illusion. “What has he done to Sam?" 

Dean sighed. _"That movie, Groundhog Day? It’s about a guy who gets tossed into a time loop to teach him a lesson. And Gabriel did that to Sam a few years back, at least that’s what I can figure out from what little Sam actually_ told _me. Whatever he did to him in there, it broke him."_ Castiel heard Dean’s teeth grinding. _"He broke Sam.”_

“Can you come back to the bunker?" 

_”…Can’t. I’ve…I’ve got something to do first. But whatever you do, keep an eye on Sam, okay? And watch out for Douchey the Archangel, just in case.“_

Dean hung up, leaving Castiel mildly confused and very angry. Whatever Gabriel had done to Sam, he’d managed to leave mental scars so deep that the hunter only had to see fifteen seconds of a movie to have a complete breakdown. 

With a small growl, Castiel went to piece the broken hunter back together, if only for a little while. It was all he could do.


End file.
